(This post was last modified: 04-30-2021, 12:17 AM by AQU.)
Today’s shave.. for science! But first, my overall impressions.
The razor is solid feeling, it’s well crafted and belongs up there with those skilled in razor marking. The finish is a beautiful bead blast and the grip has no issues. To me, the aesthetics are wonderful and the engineering behind the mechanism is brilliant. The razor is extremely well balanced and, despite its smaller stature, is natural to hold and easy to maneuver. This razor is very easy to shave under the nose with and found it quite comfortable in that space compared to other razors I own.
The first shave was a few days ago now, but work has been busy and so I haven’t had a chance to report on it. I toyed with setting 4 for the first pass and 3 for the following two passes. At setting three, the razor has neutral blade exposure and could quickly whip around my face with zero issues. The smoothness was similar to the Yates M, but the blade is much more rigid in the Muramasa (due to design differences). I’m unsure of which would be more efficient, further testing will ensue.
But what about setting 4? I’d say it’s similar to Karve D - rigidly held blade, smooth but with a touch of blade feel, a great setup for a first pass on low growth.
But today’s shave... I had 48 hours growth and used setting 5 for a two pass shave. Smooth but more blade feel; was it Blackbird levels of blade feel? No. Did I easily and comfortably knock down my growth on that first pass? Yes.
But being the idiot I am, I kept setting 5 for a second pass. There were no issues mind you, but the beauty of an adjustable is that I didn’t need that level of blade exposure for what was left. I think settings 4 or 3 could have gotten me similar results with more comfort. To reiterate, this razor is very comfortable throughout all settings, I’m just not that bright.
I’ll have to try settings 1 and 2 over the next days. Perhaps some three pass shaves with these settings will yield some epiphanies with regards to comfort or technique. I’ve been inclined to write off negative blade exposure for my personal situation, but I’m interested in seeing what’s possible.
Would I recommend other to this razor? Yes, and easily. Beyond its beauty, engineering, comfort, and great shaves, it is also multifunctional.
In some ways, this razor has reminded me that I need less. Prior to the pandemic the den had whittled down to a few simple yet wonderful razors. I think I could survive on just one now.
But I won’t.
Tony